Sprinkler stand for cold deck log storage

ABSTRACT

An upright stand including sprinkler head and supply hose supporting structure at its upper end. The stand includes a center main upright having a horizontally elongated foot supported from its lower end disposed in a first upstanding plane containing the center upright and the stand further includes opposite side legs pivotally supported at their upper ends for oscillation about horizontal axes disposed generally normal to the aforementioned plane and the lower ends of the legs are provided with inwardly directed angulated prongs for biting into and frictionally gripping the opposite sides of a log upon whose upper extremity the foot of the center upright is disposed with the foot extending longitudinally of the associated log. In order to maintain the angulated prongs at the lower ends of the legs in position penetrating the opposite sides of the associated log, the center upright is longitudinally extendable and yieldingly biased toward its extended position in a manner such that the sprinkler stand has its legs under tension, as opposed to compression, when the stand is operatively associated with a log.

[ 1 Feb. 20, 1973 United States Patent 1 Hill [54] SPRINKLER STAND FORCOLD DECK Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-John J. Love LOG STORAGE Attorney-Clarence A. OBrienand Harvey B Jacobson [76] Inventor: William W. Hill, 226 IsthmusStreet,

Coos Bay, Oreg. 97420 June 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 158,220

[57] ABSTRACT An upright stand including sprinkler head and supply [22]Filed:

hose supporting structure at its upper end. The stand includes a centermain upright having a horizontally elongated foot supported from itslower end disposed in a first upstanding plane containing the centerupright and the stand further includes opposite side legs pivotallysupported at their upper ends for oscillation about horizontal axesdisposed generally normal to the aforementioned plane and the lower endsof the fi oumnz 2w 2 0 l 4% 96 2 83 722 6 4 m N A. m8 9 n0 3 mum m T mm2u 8 u 4 "U m" m Tn .c U r u "a 0 MS 1 o W d s ....m U .mF 1] 2 8 5 55.I. [.l.

legs are provided with inwardly directed angulated prongs for bitinginto and frictionally gripping the opposite sides of a log upon whoseupper extremity the foot of the center upright is disposed with the footex- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS tending longitudinallyof the associated log. in order to maintain the angulated prongs at thelower ends of the legs in position penetrating the opposite sides of theassociated log, the center upright is longitudinally extendable andyieldingly biased toward its extended m "H O CGL E 11111 N Ill/l i w l yF 95035 07306 A233 1111 position in a manner such that the sprinklerstand has its legs under tension, as opposed to compression, when thestand is operatively associated with a log.

1,154,369 6/1969 Great Britain........................239/276 7 Claims,5 Drawing Figures lrll l nw .1Iiii-liiiiii h 4 PAIENTED 3.717. 320

SHEET 2 OF 2 Wi/l/am W. H/'// BY 2mm SPRINKLER STAND FOR COLD DECK LOGSTORAGE In the logging industry, cut logs are sometimes stacked orarranged in piles for at least temporary storage until they can betransported to a sawmill while at other times the cut logs are shippedto a sawmill at least shortly after being cut. Logs stored in stackedrelation for any lengthy duration prior to shipment to a sawmill must bekept moist in the summertime as a fire 'prevention practice and thistype of log storage is referred to as cold deck log storage. On theother hand, when logs are merely temporarily stacked after being cut forshipment to a sawmill in the reasonably near future for a duration thatis sufficiently short to prevent the logs from drying out, this type oflog storage is referred to as hot deck log storage.

The sprinkler stand of the instant invention has been primarily designedto facilitate the former type of log storage wherein the logs must be atleast occasionally wetted down to prevent them from drying outexcessively and presenting a fire hazard. The stand of the instantinvention includes structure by which it may be readily mounted atop astack of logs and utilized to support a sprinkler head and the attendantwater supply hose.

The stand needs no tools to be mounted atop a stack of logs and isself-supporting in a manner to prevent its accidental dislodgment fromatop the stack of logs. The attachment of the stand to the uppermost login a stack is accomplished by opposite side prongs which are forced intothe bark of the log and tension is maintained on the prongs by means ofa telescopic portion of the stand which is yieldingly biased toward anextended position.

The main object of this invention is to provide a stand for a sprinklerhead and an attendant water supply hose or pipe for support of thesprinkler head and water supply pipe from the top log of a stack oflogs.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediatelypreceding object, is to provide a stand constructed in a manner wherebyit may be readily quickly mounted atop the uppermost log in a stack oflogs but in a manner not requiring the use of tools and which willprevent accidental dislodgment of the stand from the uppermost log.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a sprinkler standthat may be readily stored in a compact state.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sprinkler stand thatmay be readily adjusted for use in conjunction with logs of differentdiameter.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a sprinkler stand which will conform to conventional forms ofmanufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to providea device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relativelytrouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of stacks of logs with theuppermost log of each stack having a sprinkler stand of the instantinvention supported therefrom and with a water supply hose supportedfrom and extending between the stands for supply of water to thesprinkler heads mounted atop the stands;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially uponthe plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational viewof one of the standswith the associated log and water supply hose as well as portions of thestand illustrated in vertical transverse section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG. 3;and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, a plurality of logs 10may be seen to be arranged in three different stacks 12, 14 and 16. Thestacks 12, 14 and 16 constitute logs which have been cut and are beingstored for at least a duration during which the logs may become overlydried and constitute a fire hazard. ln order to reduce the fire hazardrepresented by the stacked logs, the stacks l2, l4 and 16 are at leastperiodically watered down by means of a plurality of sprinkler heads 18supplied through a water supply line 20 and supported from a pluralityof sprinkler stands referred to in general by the reference numerals 22.

The stands 22 constitute the instant invention and include a centerupright referred to in general by the reference numeral 24. Each upright24 includes an upper small diameter tubular section 26 and a lowerdiameter tubular section 28 downwardly into whose upper end the lowerend of the upper tubular section 26 is telescoped by means of areasonably snug sliding fit.

The lower end of the lower tubular section 28 has a stiff horizontalstrap type foot 30 secured thereto and the opposite ends of the foot 30are turned down as at 32 and provided with endwise outwardly openingnotches 34 in order to form a pair of opposite side log bark penetratingprongs 36 on each end of the foot 30 for biting into the upper barksurface of the uppermost log 10 upon which the stand 22 is supported.

The intermediate portion of the strap-type foot 30 is apertured as at 38and the lower end of an extension limiting rod 40 disposed within thelower tubular section 28 is secured through the aperture 38 by means ofa washer 42 and cotter pin 44.

The lower end of the upper tubular section 26 includes a bottom wall 46which is centrally apertured as at 48 and the upper end of the extensionlimiting rod 40 extends through the aperture or bore 48 and is providedwith a diametrically enlarged head 50 on its upper end portion. Acompression spring 52 is disposed within the lower tubular section 28and has its opposite ends abutted against the upper surface of thecentral portion of the foot 30 and the undersurface of the bottom wall46 of the tubular section 26. Thus, the compression spring 52 yieldinglyurges the sections 26 and 28 toward their maximum limit of extensiondefined by the extension limiting rod 40.

The upper end of the tubular section 26 supports a horizontallyelongated upwardly opening U-shaped cradle 54 which is centered relativeto the upper end of the section 26. The water supply line 20 comprises aplurality of end connected line sections 56 joined together at adjacentends by means of T-fittings 58. Each T-fitting 58 includes a horizontaltube section to whose opposite ends the adjacent ends of the adjacentline sections 56 are secured as well as an upstanding tubular neck 59opening downwardly into the central portion of the correspondinghorizontal tube section at its lower end and in whose upper end theinletmounting tube portion 60 of a corresponding rotatable sprinklerhead 18 is secured. One end of the water supply hose 20 is connected toa suitable source of water under pressure and the other end of the hose20 may be capped in any convenient manner. Further, the intermediateportion of each T-fitting horizontal tube section is supported from acorresponding cradle 58.

A tubular bracket 62 is provided and slidably disposed on the uppertubular section 26. The tubular bracket 62 includes a setscrew 64provided with a jamnut 66 and the setscrew 64 is operative tofrictionally engage the tubular section 26 in order to retain thetubular bracket 62 in position along the tubular section 26. The tubularbracket 62 includes a pair of diametrically opposite horizontallyoutwardly projecting upstanding apertured mounting cars 68 to which theupper ends of a pair of rod legs 70 are pivotally supported by means ofclamp-type pivot fasteners 72. The upper ends of the legs 70 have eyesformed thereon through which the clamp-type pivot fasteners are securedand thus the fasteners 72 may be at least partially tightened whensecuring the legs 70 to the mounting cars 68 in order that the legs 70will be frictionally retained in adjusted angular positions relative tothe apertured mounting ears 68.

The lower ends of the legs 70 include right angulated inwardly directedsharpened prongs 74 and the legs 70 are at least substantially rigid.Further, it will be seen that each upper tubular section 26 includes ahorizontally outwardly projecting and upwardly opening cradle forsupporting the adjacent ends of the associated water supply hosesections 60.

In operation, after the logs have been arranged in the stacks 12, 14 and16, the stands 22 may be engaged with the uppermost logs 10 asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings with the upright 24 beingat least somewhat retracted from its fully extended position. After thelower end of the upright 24 has its foot 30 engaged with the outer barkof the associated log in a manner with the prongs 36 biting into thelog, at least slight downward pressure is applied to the upper tubularsection 26 in order to collapse the upright 24 from its fully extendedposition. While the upright 24 is being held in a partially collapsedposition, the lower ends of the legs 70 are swung toward each other andinto engagement with portions of the associated log disposed on oppositesides of the elongated foot 30 and the lower ends of the legs 70 may beforced into the log. Then, the downward pressure on the upper tubularsection 26 may be released so that the compression spring 52 may biasthe upper tubular section 26 toward its fully extended position, therebyplacing the legs 70 under tension and ensuring that the prongs 74carried by the lower ends of the legs will retain their frictional gripwith the log.

With the hose sections 56 cradled in the cradles 54 water under pressuremay be communicated with the inlet end of the hose 20 so that the watersupplied to the hose 20 may be ducted to and discharged from thesprinkler heads 18 in order to wet down the piles of logs. The supply ofwater to the hose 20 may be timed by any suitable timing device (notshown) in order that the logs will be intermittently watered down. Onthe other hand, the aforementioned supply of water under pressure may becommunicated with the hose 20 through a manually actuatable controlvalve that may be intermittently opened for at least short durations inorder to ensure that the logs 10 will be prevented from drying outexcessively and constituting a fire hazard.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 7

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stand adapted for support atop a horizontal log, said standincluding a central upright adapted at its lower end for support fromsaid log, a pair of upstanding legs pivotally secured at their upperends to an upper portion of said upright for swinging the lower ends ofsaid legs toward and away from opposite sides of said upright, the lowerends of said legs projecting downwardly below the lower end of saiduprights and including inwardly directed prongs for biting into andfrictionally engaging the opposite portions of a log upon whose upperportion the lower end of said upright is supported, said standardincluding upper and lower end portions slidingly supported from eachother for extension and retraction of said standard between fullyextended and fully retracted positions, means yieldingly biasing saidstandard to said fully extended position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said uprightincludes a horizontally elongated straptype foot disposed in anupstanding plane generally paralleling the axes of oscillation of saidlegs.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the opposite ends of saidstrap-type foot are downwardly directed so as to present edge portionsfor frictionally gripping the upper surface portions of thecorresponding log.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said downturned ends have endwiseoutwardly opening notches formed therein defining pairs of opposite sidelog-engaging prongs on the downturned ends of said foot.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said uprightincludes a horizontally elongated straptype foot disposed in anupstanding plane generally paralleling the axes of oscillation of saidlegs.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the opposite ends of saidstrap-type foot are downwardly directed so as to present edge portionsfor frictionally gripping the upper surface portions of thecorresponding log.

7. A stand adapted for support atop a horizontal log, said standincluding a central upright adapted at its for guiding movementtherealong, means for releasably retaining said bracket in adjustedshifted position along said standard, the upper ends of said legs beingpivotally supported from said bracket, said standard including upper andlower end portions slidingly supported from each other for extension andretraction of said standard between fully extended and fully retractedpositions, means yieldingly biasing said standard to said fully extendedposition.

1. A stand adapted for support atop a horizontal log, said standincluding a central upright adapted at its lower end for support fromsaid log, a pair of upstanding legs pivotally secured at their upperends to an upper portion of said upright for swinging the lower ends ofsaid legs toward and away from opposite sides of said upright, the lowerends of said legs projecting downwardly below the lower end of saiduprights and including inwardly directed prongs for biting into andfrictionally engaging the opposite portions of a log upon whose upperportion the lower end of said upright is supported, said standardincluding upper and lower end portions slidingly supported from eachother for extension and retraction of said standard between fullyextended and fully retracted positions, means yieldingly biasing saidstandard to said fully extended position.
 1. A stand adapted for supportatop a horizontal log, said stand including a central upright adapted atits lower end for support from said log, a pair of upstanding legspivotally secured at their upper ends to an upper portion of saidupright for swinging the lower ends of said legs toward and away fromopposite sides of said upright, the lower ends of said legs projectingdownwardly below the lower end of said uprights and including inwardlydirected prongs for biting into and frictionally engaging the oppositeportions of a log upon whose upper portion the lower end of said uprightis supported, said standard including upper and lower end portionsslidingly supported from each other for extension and retraction of saidstandard between fully extended and fully retracted positions, meansyieldingly biasing said standard to said fully extended position.
 2. Thecombination of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said upright includes ahorizontally elongated strap-type foot disposed in an upstanding planegenerally paralleling the axes of oscillation of said legs.
 3. Thecombination of claim 2 wherein the opposite ends of said strap-type footare downwardly directed so as to present edge portions for frictionallygripping the upper surface portions of the corresponding log.
 4. Thecombination of claim 3 wherein said downturned ends have endwiseoutwardly opening notches formed therein defining pairs of opposite sidelog-engaging prongs on the downturned ends of said foot.
 5. Thecombination of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said upright includes ahorizontally elongated strap-type foot disposed in an upstanding planegenerally paralleling the axes of oscillation of said legs.
 6. Thecombination of claim 5 wherein the opposite ends of said strap-type footare downwardly directed so as to present edge portions for frictionallygripping the upper surface portions of the corresponding log.